---
title: Tabs Field
label: Tabs
order: 170
desc: The Tabs field is a great way to organize complex editing experiences into specific tab-based areas.
keywords: tabs, fields, config, configuration, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, nextjs
---

The Tabs Field is presentational-only and only affects the [Admin Panel](../admin/overview) (unless a tab is named). By using it, you can place fields within a nice layout component that separates certain sub-fields by a tabbed interface.

<LightDarkImage
  srcLight="https://payloadcms.com/images/docs/fields/tabs.png"
  srcDark="https://payloadcms.com/images/docs/fields/tabs-dark.png"
  alt="Shows a tabs field used to separate Hero and Page layout in the Payload Admin Panel"
  caption="Tabs field type used to separate Hero fields from Page Layout"
/>

To add a Tabs Field, set the `type` to `tabs` in your [Field Config](./overview):

```ts
import type { Field } from 'payload'

export const MyTabsField: Field = {
  // ...
  // highlight-start
  type: 'tabs',
  tabs: [
    // ...
  ]
  // highlight-end
}
```

## Config Options

| Option        | Description                                                                                                              |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **`tabs`** \* | Array of tabs to render within this Tabs field.                                                                          |
| **`admin`**   | Admin-specific configuration. [More details](../admin/fields#admin-options). |
| **`custom`**  | Extension point for adding custom data (e.g. for plugins)                                                                |

### Tab-specific Config

Each tab must have either a `name` or `label` and the required `fields` array. You can also optionally pass a `description` to render within each individual tab.

| Option              | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **`name`**          | Groups field data into an object when stored and retrieved from the database. [More](/docs/fields/overview#field-names)                                                                                      |
| **`label`**         | The label to render on the tab itself. Required when name is undefined, defaults to name converted to words.                                                                                                 |
| **`fields`** \*     | The fields to render within this tab.                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **`description`**   | Optionally render a description within this tab to describe the contents of the tab itself.                                                                                                                  |
| **`interfaceName`** | Create a top level, reusable [Typescript interface](/docs/typescript/generating-types#custom-field-interfaces) & [GraphQL type](/docs/graphql/graphql-schema#custom-field-schemas). (`name` must be present) |
| **`virtual`**       | Provide `true` to disable field in the database (`name` must be present). See [Virtual Fields](https://payloadcms.com/blog/learn-how-virtual-fields-can-help-solve-common-cms-challenges)                    |

_\* An asterisk denotes that a property is required._

## Example

`collections/ExampleCollection.ts`

```ts
import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'

export const ExampleCollection: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'example-collection',
  fields: [
    {
      type: 'tabs', // required
      tabs: [
        // required
        {
          label: 'Tab One Label', // required
          description: 'This will appear within the tab above the fields.',
          fields: [
            // required
            {
              name: 'someTextField',
              type: 'text',
              required: true,
            },
          ],
        },
        {
          name: 'tabTwo',
          label: 'Tab Two Label', // required
          interfaceName: 'TabTwo', // optional (`name` must be present)
          fields: [
            // required
            {
              name: 'numberField', // accessible via tabTwo.numberField
              type: 'number',
              required: true,
            },
          ],
        },
      ],
    },
  ],
}
```
